Four gaping wounds mar the walls of Godsgrace, holes smashed through brick and stone by the king’s great siege engines. Each day that passes sees more and more harm done, and it seems that already the king’s army has begun preparations to storm the city once an opening or two more are opened. The inhabitants of Godsgrace do what they can to fill the holes with rubble, but it is a paltry effort. Victory against Godsgrace—and so all of Dorne—now seems a matter of days away.

So, perhaps, it was no surprise when a small group if Dornishmen appeared from the southeast, carrying the rainbow-striped peace banner and a bundle slung across a horse’s back. Escorted before the king, the knight revealed himself as Ser Jarvis Sand, the Bastard of the Red Dunes. He had fought against the king more than once, but now he had been chosen to bear a message to the Young Dragon. That message? The Dornish army wished to present itself King Daeron and make its submission to him, putting an end to this rebellion. Lords and captains of the army, five in number, would ride from the army to neutral ground between, to await the king’s pleasure, to make their obesiance to him, and to accept such terms as he wished to give. Ser Jarvis seemed angry as he spoke, angry at the shame of surrender and defeat.

Rumor ran like wildfire through the camp, that the war was done, and maybe Godsgrace wouldn’t have to be stormed in the bargain. The king agreed to accept the surrender, and set a time early on the next day. Yet before Ser Jarvis left, another matter came up: the return of a body. The cloth-wrapped bundle across the riderless horse was brought down and unwrapped: the body of Ser Jarmyn Storm. Ser Jarvis baldly stated that the Bastard of Mistwood had entered the Dornish camp and attacked Lord Gargalen, who died of his wounds. The Dornishman made no further remark, but it’s said he swept his gaze across those present, as if ... searching. The king chose to not press him for further details, nor did he remark on Storm’s purpose in the enemy camp.

With that, Ser Jarvis Sand was allowed to depart with his party of men, to report the king’s grant of an audience by which the Dornish might surrender themselves.